A Reclaiming Exorcist
by FallenWing21
Summary: SEQUEL TO VENGEFUL EXORCIST: Her mother might not have been who Nova thought she was. Those faces that haunt her at night might be the reason she's hesitant to answer. And the Masks might have more to them then meets the eye. What lies ahead at the Black Order this time? KandaXOC Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1: Untold Secrets

**Welcome back readers! It's good to see all your bright and shining faces again! I finally got to work on this because I've had two snow days in a row! Whoo! After keeping it to the side and letting it brood into tons of different scenes, I grabbed a piece of paper and began brainstorming. Soon I had somewhat of a plot going. I'll have to continue with the rest but this first chapter is just the beginning! I'm glad to be at work once again for this fandom! I hope you enjoy this next installment for the series! Hopefully you all like this first chapter, despite it being not as action packed right from the start...I'm trying to set up the plot you know? *grins* **

**So for those who want a refresher, go ahead and visit Vengeful Exorcist: Chapter 43 for the first 'snippet' of this chapter. It kind of introduces it. I thought starting it like this would be kind of cool.**

**Anyhoo...**

**It's time for the awaited sequel to Vengeful Exorcist...I can't believe I'm actually doing this! Well...here it is...**

**~.~.~.~.~**

**A Reclaiming Exorcist**

**Chapter 1: Untold Secrets**

**~.~.~.~.~**

**[Nova]**

"You're telling me that you've been found out?" A booming voice echoed throughout the chamber. It was an intimidating even by the sound of it, enough to make someone cringe in fear. That's what I was facing right now. And I was standing right in the middle of all of it.

"After all of the work you've done?" Another voice chimed in, having that accusatory tone. I clenched my fists behind my back, trying not to let my anger to the situation show.

"I knew we shouldn't have let her lead the Head Operations unit. I voted for her to stay where she was but you all apparently _believed _it was her chance to prove she was worthy to stay here at the Order." The scratchy voice rang in my ears, making me clench my jaw.

I was standing underneath a spotlight, looking up into nothingness. The higher ups of the Order were hidden from view. I couldn't even tell what they looked like. And now they spoke about me as if I wasn't even present. The thought that they didn't believe in my potential grated my nerves.

"Hey, quiet down. Let the girl speak for once."

I kept my composure at the sudden interruption, inwardly glad that whoever they were stopped the argument for my position. Keeping my hands behind me, I cleared my throat as the muttering above me dwindled into silence. To be honest, each time I spoke to these people made me nervous and angry at the same time. They were the _top brass _of the Black Order. They were the ones who gave the final say in _anything_.

I was actually talking to them.

"Yes, it was only a few minutes ago when I received the call from one of my Finders. He immediately reported to me that while he was watching one of the men I had sent out, his monitor shut down for about five seconds. Then, he stated that when he got it back up and running, my observer had disappeared, as well as the one who attacked him. We believe that the Masks now know that we have been observing them this entire time." I explained, faintly catching the outraged mutters from one of the men above me. I barely caught 'incapable' and 'degraded' from the murmurs, sparking a fire within me.

"They gave no signs to your observance before though. Why would they suddenly move now and attack one of your own?" It was the voice that had interrupted the argument from before. They had a calm and patient tone that made me instantly recognize his superiority.

"That's what I've been thinking, sir. We hope to find more reasons as to why, but I do believe that you will take us off of this mission."

"What makes you think I want you to stop observing them?"

I blinked in silence for a moment.

"It's because we've been found out, sir. They know we're watching them."

"Yes, I do know that, Ms. Krest, but that doesn't mean stop observing them. We must make these Masks aware that we follow their every move; that we're trying to get under their skin, to try and know more about them. That _is _the reason we asked you to send out a team, isn't it?"

"…it is, sir." I bit out despite the voice in the back of my head saying: _They must know something about these guys. Why couldn't they just tell me? Maybe because they want to test you?_

"Good then," His tone seemed pleased.

"But if I may ask?"

"What is it now?" The intimidating voice spat back, annoyance evident in his features. Though I wouldn't know since I can't see him. I suppressed the urge to scowl at his words and his attitude towards me. They weren't exactly helping with the situation.

"I'd like to release another party in order to search for my missing exorcist, sir. There is a possibility that he could be injured and I would like to retrieve him as soon as possible to discuss more about this incident."

There was a beat of silence. It was an eternity for me.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Ms. Krest."

"I don't think I follow, sir."

"You see…we don't want you to have too much on your plate. Besides, what if your exorcist doesn't want to be found? Perhaps it would be better for him to not be searched for when it seems as though the Masks are targeting him. Wouldn't that be wise?" I felt my cheeks heat up at the one point I missed, embarrassment running through my blood. I could tell the slightly amused tone in that man's voice. To think I was beginning to like him out of all of them. Now I just despise all of them.

"…yes, sir," I clearly stated, trying not to grind my teeth in anger at their attitudes towards me.

"Very well then, continue your observations and _this _time, be much more careful about your surroundings, Ms. Krest."

I let out a slow breath before nodding my head, the spotlight above me clicking off. Turning on my heel, I let my curled fists hang by my sides as I calmly stormed out of the room. Once the door behind me clicked shut, I released my boiling anger in a shaky breath, pressing the palms of my hands into my head. Leaning against the door, I raised my head to see Komui staring at me with a hopeful expression.

"I'm guessing it didn't go so well?"

"They act like I'm not even there half the time! They all hate my guts and want _nothing _to do with me! They all think that I'm not fit for the job and don't think I'm worthy enough to lead the Head Operations. And now they refuse for me to search for Cross because they think that he could be a target of the Masks, which I don't disagree with. Ugh, can I just punch their cocky, conceited faces for once?!" I exclaimed as I heard my voice echo through the hall.

"No matter what, they're still superior to you and me, Nova. So we have to ultimately obey. Anyhow, did they let you continue the observations?" Komui inquired as he took my by the arm and began walking down the hall.

"Surprisingly, yes, I half expected them to just say, 'no, you've done enough damage, you'll be demoted' or something like that." I said as I glanced at him quickly. He didn't seem to have a reaction. He seemed to be deep in thought about something.

"I still feel like they know something about the Masks though." I offered, hoping to gain some sort of reaction from the Chief of the Black Order. His attention swerved towards me, his purple eyes meeting my own.

"Like what?"

"Maybe what the Masks want?"

"That could be a possibility. You should start thinking about that. What they want. If they attacked Cross so suddenly, after all this time of inactivity, there must be a reason."

"Hm, I suppose I should. I'll do it after Herrman and Victoria come back." Expecting some sort of response from the Chief, I didn't get it. Turning my head, I caught the look that seemed like he was deep in thought again.

"Is there…something on your mind, Komui?"

"Yes…it's about the project you told me about, the one from about a month ago?"

I raised an eyebrow, curious. He hasn't mentioned this topic in a while. I was beginning to think it wasn't such a good idea but now I guess I was wrong. He might agree to it.

"What about it?"

"Do you mind if I see it? I know you've been keeping it to yourself, making it all by your hand, but I would…just like to see it."

"You mean, make some adjustments?" I said with a wide grin on my lips. I couldn't wait to show him. A look of embarrassment appeared on his face as he met my gaze.

"Y-ye—I would just like to see it."

I let out a chuckle as I looped my arm through his, happy to lead to the way.

"Sure thing, Chief, I'm positive that you'll love it."

**~.~.~.~.~**

**[Kanda]**

A pair of Innocence colored eyes peered up at me from the dining table. She was actually sitting on the bench, taking up most of the space. The only amount of space was for me to occupy. The beautiful green colored eyes blinked twice before she let out a yawn, her long pink tongue stretching. Feeling a smile on the corner of my lips, I placed a hand onto her fur, stroking her softly. Tigress let out a low purr as she cuddled closer to my lap, practically placing her huge head into it.

It was just us two at the table today. The Usagi and Moyashi were both on a mission together and Lenalee was out as well. Victoria was out on a mission, Sam was doing who knows what, who knows where, leaving me and Tigress to have the company to ourselves. It would be just us till another hour, and then Nova would be able to drop by. I was glad that she was in a position where she felt comfortable. She seemed to fit for the job, though I can't say that I miss her when I'm out on my own missions.

"Hey!"

I nearly choked on my soba noodles. Landing in a coughing fit, I startled Tigress off of my lap as I snatched my cup to down the remains of my food.

"What is it?" I growled out as I slammed down the cup of tea onto the table. Finally looking at the person who startled the living hell out of my soba noodles, a scowl appeared on my lips as I met her bright, fluttery gaze.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you, Kanda. I just wanted to see what was up?" Green emerald eyes peered back at me, her face framed by a short head of strawberry blonde locks. Her bangs were to the side, a simple headband on her head.

Lyra, Nova's apprentice. More commonly known as the Exorcist Assistant. It was Nova's position before she moved to Head Operations.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing! I just don't have anyone to talk to, is all!"

"…And you thought that coming to me would give you a conversation."

"Well…I'm having one right now, aren't I?" My eyebrow twitched at her similar personality to Nova's. It's like I was talking to another one of her, just in a completely different body.

"Right, well you already know that I'm not much of a talkative person. So, would you mind?" I suggested, glancing to the side. I really wasn't in the mood to talk to her. I mean…I could tell that she had an attraction towards me. I'm pretty sure she knew that I knew which made things slightly awkward between us. Ever since she became Nova's apprentice and _caught sight _of me, she was coming at me nonstop. Did she not know I was with Nova?

"Aw, but I like talking to you, Kanda! Don't push me away!" Lyra exclaimed as she gave me a fake pout, her eyebrows furrowing. I placed my hand onto Tigress's back, her head appearing back into my lap.

"Sorry, but…I've got other plans." I lamely came up with an excuse, gathering my food to throw away. I just didn't want to be around someone I didn't really know that well. But hey, wasn't that the same way with Nova?

Before I could even stand up, my tray was snatched from beneath my fingertips, whisked away from Lyra. I could only sit there in gaping silence as she threw away my stuff for me. Great, now I didn't have a reason to leave. Of course I feel bad for doing this to her, but I'm just not a people person. The only person who can actually stand me is Nova.

"There! Now we can chat!" Lyra excitedly said as she held her chin in her hands. Her personality was so bubbly I think I might have just twitched my eye. It was so similar to Nova's.

I have no idea how she even became Nova's apprentice. All I know is that she suddenly appeared at the Order, and was given to Nova for apprenticeship. Which I didn't get. Was it the higher up's way of testing if she could handle it in order to stay here? I can't even tell whether this girl can be serious enough to give out orders.

"I really have to go." I stated as I patted Tigress to get up. She hopped off of the bench, her tail swishing as she let out another yawn. I stood up, giving a frowning Lyra a nod before turning away with Tigress by my side.

"I'll get to talk to you for real someday, Kanda!" Lyra shouted behind me, hearing the amusement in her voice as I waved a hand back at her. Heading out of the dining hall, I turned the corner and glanced down at the tiger strolling beside me. She had an amused look in her Innocence colored eyes.

"Don't tell me you didn't notice." I muttered under my breath as the tiger tilted her head at me. She blinked a few times in silence before giving me a nod. I already knew she could understand humans. "Of course you did."

As Tigress and I walked through the halls in silence, we passed a couple of Finders on their way to the dining hall.

"Hey, you hear about those Masks guys?"

"Yeah, apparently they attacked Nova's unit!"

"What? No way! I wonder what happened."

"Hopefully her team is okay."

I was speed walking now, heading straight for her office. She must be furious by now. Her care for her men out in the field could challenge no other. She cared about everyone in each unit. Tigress easily caught up with me, an alarmed look in her emerald eyes.

"Its fine, Tigress, I'm sure everything is all right." I said as I opened the door to her office. I expected her to be a fire breathing dragon of a mess, a slight panicked look in her silver eye, but I didn't encounter any of that.

She wasn't in her office.

My hand still wrapped around the knob of the door, I closed it shut as I tried of think of where she could be. I wanted to be there for her, if she needed me. Glancing at her pet tiger, I came up with nothing, and just decided to go to the places she went to most.

**~.~.~.~.~**

**[Komui]**

I stood in front of it, awed at its shape and form. She had done such a great job of it that I almost forgot that she possessed no Innocence at all. We were in a room down in the Science Division, created just for this purpose. She had asked me to hold off a room for her, but she wouldn't tell me the reason. She did about two months later. Now I was gazing at what seemed like a masterpiece.

The emblem that was etched into the metal was of the Black Order, beautifully done. Its silver blade had an intricate design that contrasted Nova's calm personality that could snap around and become lethally cold. The size of it seemed perfect for her, seeming light enough to carry even with one hand.

"I told you, you would love it, didn't I?" Nova beamed at me, her brunette hair pulled out of its bun. Her silver eye was bright with excitement as she watched my reaction. I could only blink silence as I turned to her, trying to make sense of what she was doing right now.

"So you want to go back into the field? Is that why you created something like this?"

"I didn't make it all by myself, you know. I only drew what I wanted it to look like. General Klaud and a blacksmith I know helped me with the rest." She said as her grin started to slide away from her lips. She was beginning to address the subject.

"But yes…I've just been having thoughts about it."

"You know we can't have you out there unless it's absolutely necessary. You have no—"

"Innocence, I know, Komui. I probably won't be going into the field anytime soon, but I thought I would just show you what I made."

"Oh…well it's a beautiful sword, Nova." I praised as I saw the light return in her eye. I put a comforting hand on her shoulder as her gaze slid over to her creation, marveling at its beauty.

"I just don't know if I'll use it." She whispered, her voice quiet. I gave her a sad smile before taking a step away from her, about to take my leave.

"Do _you _think I'll be able to go back one day?"

I stopped in my tracks, turning around to face the young woman.

"I do. You were once an exorcist and you'll always be one, no matter what."

A small hopeful smile appeared on Nova's lips, making me smile in return.

"Thanks, Komui."

Nodding my head, I exited the room, letting Nova be alone for a while. As I exited the Science Division doors, I nearly collided into Kanda and Tigress, who looked disheveled. Already knowing, I gave him a small smile and gestured behind me. Understanding, he beckoned for Tigress to follow and nodded towards me, entering the Science Division doors.

I really do believe she'll be back in the field one day. She just needed to realize when.

**~.~.~.~.~**

**[Nova]**

As I heard the door to my special room creak open, I turned my head slightly. Seeing Tigress's orange fur out of the corner of my eye, I smiled at who it was, moving to fully face them. Kanda looked completely unkempt, a wild look in his dark eyes as he met my gaze.

"Hey," I softly greeted as he took a hesitant step towards me.

"Hi, I heard about your unit." He said, his gaze moving towards the weapon behind me before meeting my silver eye. "You okay?"

I nodded as he came closer, his scent wafting out towards me. I reached out towards him and soon I had him in a gentle hug, my face buried into his shoulder.

"What is this?" He inquired, catching me off guard. That's right. I didn't tell him either. Pulling away from him, I turned around as lightly stroked the blade that was on top of the wooden table. His chest pressed into my back as his hands surrounded both sides of me, reaching out to hold the sword.

"It's my weapon…for…" I trailed off, my words jammed into my throat.

"For…when you go out into the field?" Kanda completed my sentence, his lips right next to my ear, making chills go up my spine.

"If. _If_ I go out into the field,"

"You're not sure if you want to?" I remained silent, not even sure yet.

"…It's a beautiful blade, Nova." His breath tickled my ear as his arms pulled away from the sword to wrap around me. I grinned at his compliment, turning around to face him.

"I just…don't know when I'll use it." I hesitantly said, meeting his gaze. He stared deep into my soul, his dark eyes pulling me in. I caught the slightly annoyed look in his eyes and felt a grin tugging on my lips.

"Has Lyra been bothering you again?"

The look on his face gave it all away. A smirk spread across my lips as I kept my hands around his neck.

"She likes you a lot you know."

"Oh, are you getting jealous?" This time my smirk slid off as one appeared on Kanda's lips.

"No, I'm not." He chuckled as his lips brushed my cheek, a blush rising up my neck.

"Are you seriously thinking of joining us again?"

"…like I said those months ago, I'll join if it's absolutely necessary."

"Like you'll stick to your word," I smiled despite my words, burying my face into his shoulder again.

It's not like I'll ever tell anyone about my nightmares; that they continue to haunt me with the dead people of the past. The scent as well as the blood still imprinted behind my eyelids. It's nothing I would go around spouting about. They just make me a bit…afraid.

Of what could happen now.

**~.~.~.~.~**

**[Victoria]**

It took two days to get back to the Order and the Finders on this unit were beginning to lose it. _I _was slowly beginning to lose it. Cross had _disappeared _for goodness sake. To have done it so quickly was beyond my understanding. All the blood in that room…I suppressed the urge to shudder as our unit clambered out of the train and onto the platform. Walking quickly in a desperate attempt to get out of the crowded space, I beckoned for the others to follow with a glance over my shoulder.

"Let's move it." I ordered as the others hurried to catch up with me, their luggage being jostled around by the sheer amount of people running across the platform.

One of those from the Masks had attacked Cross without our knowing, which was impossible because we were watching him the entire time. But then all our eyes were brought down, giving that person the time they needed. I gritted my teeth at the failed mission as the group booked it back to the Order, wandering through the bustling crowd of the town.

A light tap on my shoulder caught my attention. It was Herrmann, looking as freaked out as that same night. His thin rimmed glasses kept slipping down his nose as he walked. "I-I apologize for my lack of efficiency during this mission,"

I raised an eyebrow as I glanced over at him, blinking for a moment. "You don't need to apologize. We were all caught off guard."

"B-but I—" I cut him off as I turned towards him with a slight frown on my lips.

"You're not to blame for the unsuccessful outcome of this mission, understand Herrmann?" He nodded at my words, still having that reluctant look in his eyes. "Good, let's keep going! I want to talk to Nova about this immediately!" I called out to the others, hearing the chorus of 'yes!' as a sign to continue.

We jammed ourselves into the newly installed elevator and rode our way up to the first floor. As the bell dinged, I was the first one to step out followed by the others. As I walked through the halls at a fast pace, Herrmann puffed as he caught up with me, going into a mild jog. He was quite slow for someone so slim. The other members of the unit had dispersed, no doubt going to their rooms to crash.

As I burst into Nova's office with a bang, Herrmann was right behind me as I rushed in, seeing her wide eyed gaze directed at us. Her hair was pulled into its strict bun again, her black eye patch having the crest of the Black Order on it. The first thing she did as Herrmann and I came in was extend her arms and pull us into a huge hug.

"I'm so glad you guys aren't hurt." She breathed in our ears before she pulled back. The look in her eyes was pure relief. I smiled in return, giving her a nod as she leaned against her desk. I handed her most of Cross's things: his jacket, his box of cigarettes, that white mask of his. He had forgotten most of his possessions excluding his own Innocence.

"I'm happy that you're back and all but I suppose we'll have to address the situation now." Nova began as she gave the both us a serious frown, the bright look in her eye gone. "Cross is gone…what was the scene like when you went into the room?"

I cleared my throat as the images came flying back. "The blood seemed to be mostly around where Cross was apparently standing. But then there was another pile of blood about a foot or two away from him, probably his attacker. Cross's blood led to the balcony, only to disappear. And his attacker's didn't seem to go anywhere, which concerns me." Nova took in the information with flying colors, thumbing the bottom of her lip in thought.

"Meaning that those Masks must have some sort of power. They must be able to disappear somehow." She suggested as she met my gaze, arching a brow at her idea. I shrugged at the possibility as I took a glance over Herrmann by my side, signaling for him to go.

"U-uh like I said before…both of their signatures just suddenly went up and 'poofed' away. It was really strange."

"Will the higher ups let you conduct a search for Cross?" I inquired as I saw a flame of anger burn in Nova's silver eye. A deep frown appeared on her lips as she pulled her thumb away from her lips.

"No, they believe that he may be a target. No matter how much I want to send out a party, I can't. I understand their point." She supplied as she let out a sharp sigh, bringing a hand up to her face. I noticed that she looked exhausted.

"Hmm, well what're you going to do now?"

"Continue observing I suppose. Don't worry; I'll do as much investigating on these guys as much as I can, _if _I can get my hands on any existing information about them. For now…just get some rest and I'll deploy another team to a Finder keeping tabs on their locations. You _did _have someone tab them, right?"

"Don't worry one of the Finders already did. He'll give you the information soon, maybe after he's finished catching up on his sleep."

Nova nodded with a closed eye as she turned and took a swig of water from a cup. As I observed her closely, I only began to note the light bags under her eyes. She was trying to use make up to cover the rest of it. Narrowing my eyes, I saw that her whole complexion seemed a bit duller than usual. It wasn't as bright and radiant. Strange.

"Anyway, go ahead and get some rest, Victoria." She said, trying to mask her fatigue. I nodded and turned to Herrmann, allowing him to leave first. As he left, I stopped walking and slightly turned my body towards her.

"Are you alright, Nova?" I inquired, concerned for my friend's condition. Ever since she brought me out of Avon's grasp, I have been indebted to her. I don't know how to repay her for what she's done for me, but somehow helping her out by being in her unit helps a little bit.

"Yeah…I'm just tired, is all." She quietly replied, her voice soft and weary. Her silver eye met my own, flickering with something I couldn't quite understand. For the first time since I've been with her, she seemed almost _scared _of something. I just couldn't see what.

"I see…well if you need anything, I'm right here."

The look was gone when she beamed a natural smile at me.

"Thanks, Victoria."

**~.~.~.~.~**

**[Cross]**

"Thanks, love." The servant at the hotel I was presently at handed me a plate of bandages, giving me a small smile as I shut the door in her face.

Heading over to the bathroom, I glanced into the mirror to see the still bleeding wound in my shoulder. I managed to get the bullet out since the two days I've been here, but stitching the wound up was another matter entirely. It hurt like hell when I somehow sowed up the wound myself. Now all I needed was to bandage it properly and I was all set to go.

How I managed to escape in such a short amount of time appalled even me. By the time that man had fired at me, and I the same, I was already vaulting myself over the balcony rail. However, in the split second before that, the damn bullet lodged into my shoulder before I went, making my escape a tad more difficult.

As soon as I was alerted to that man's presence, I knew that I was a target. For what reason? I wasn't exactly sure yet, but lately I've been having my suspicions. Within seconds I was out of that place, leaving the unit I was in in a frenzy. I had booked it to the nearest train, ripping off a section of my shirt to keep the wound from leaving a trail and arrived at my current destination as of this moment.

Now I was here, bandaging my own wound as I thought of what purpose these Masks had. They were targeting me but I hadn't been doing anything rambunctious to catch their attention. They didn't even know who I was and yet the man who attacked me said my name. As I wrapped up the wound, I glanced into the mirror and saw the old scars of the past, bringing back a bunch of memories.

How did they know who I was? Our unit was in the shadows for so long. They wouldn't have been able to get any information on us unless they knew us from some sort of inside person. Which they don't have. There hasn't been anyone suspicious for a while now. I tried to think back of times in the past where some major things were developing. Throwing some options out of the way, I was left with only one definite possibility that might be the answer.

Before I had even met Nova, I already knew of her mother. Back when she was still alive. She and I were actually close as comrades. One day, Cynthia had trusted me with something I would never be able to forget. Her most trusted secret. And that might be what the Masks' goal is. My gut weighing on this possibility, I wandered over to the small amount of items I had with me: my pouch of money, Timcampy my golem (yes I took him from Allen), and the clothes on my back. Not much. Sighing, I knew I had to get this message to Nova somehow. I needed her to look into it and make sure that I'm not right. If I'm right, then things just got a whole lot more serious than before.

I scrambled for the piece of paper and pen by the nightstand and began scribbling the words I needed Nova to read. Then, signing it with a single letter, I rolled it up and wandered over to Timcampy who was sleeping peacefully on top of my bed. Peering down at him with a small frown, I lightly tapped his head, waking him up. Fluttering its wings, its head gestured towards the rolled up paper in my hand.

"Open wide," Placing the roll of paper in its huge mouth, I watched as he closed his mouth, keeping the note hidden inside his own body.

"You won't be with me for a while, but you know how to find me." I quietly said as I patted my live golem's head for a moment.

"Take it to the Order, will you?" I cupped him in my hand as I gathered all of my things, slipping on a new shirt that one of the ladies downstairs kindly gave to me. Along with the coat they generously gave, I slipped Timcampy under it as I exited the room.

As I nodded towards the manager in the lobby, having already paid the fee, I left the hotel and wandered into the cold night. My breath coming out in puffs, I merged with the still bustling city and gave Timpcampy one last thumb over before pulling him out and tossing him lightly into the air. Not even glancing back, I knew that he was already rocketing towards the Black Order with my message.

If things were exactly as I had just figured them out to be, then these Masks were more than just a slight disturbance.

**~.~.~.~.~**

**I did say I would increase the chapter length didn't I? X3 So now that the plot has been set and the wheels have begun turning, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! ****I hope that this first chapter has been good enough to grab you by the collar and pull you into the story~ **

**And one more thing, as an author, I'll do my best to reply back to your reviews. I believe that that is the best gift I can give you all, other than posting a new chapter for you to read. :)**

**If you have snow out there, do be careful and I wish you all a wonderful day!**

**-FallenWing21**


	2. Chapter 2: Regaining it All

**Hi everyone~ It's me again back for another update! **

**Firstly, I'd like to thank SakuraTenshi36092, LaStoriaDellaAnimeFreak, Aviantei, Skyla15699, broweiss27, Vertan Yamamoto, and SnakeHeartZen for following/favorite(ing) me as well as this story! **

**You guys are awesome and I'm sure that this list will surely grow.**

** I hope you enjoy this new chapter! **

**~.~.~.~.~**

**Chapter 2: Regaining it All**

**~.~.~.~.~**

**[Nova]**

It was happening again and I could do nothing but watch it over and over.

The Earl's wide smile and eerie gaze stared down at me. There was a flash and then I was standing around all of the rotting corpses of the people in my town. I tried to run away from it but iron like bonds kept me rooted to the ground, making me stare into the soul of the old man who had bought that book from me. The blank eyes of the bodies all seemed to be focused on me, injecting a spike of terror into my heart. Another shift and I was standing in front of Kanda, a hand grasping my heart from the inside. That frightened look in his eye. I felt my blood run cold when Tyki's face appeared out of nowhere, not human anymore, wearing that black armor of his.

_Stop this…I can't…_

The sequence of dead faces and lifeless bodies only sped up, slowly transforming into the faces of the people I loved most. It suddenly stopped, and I was standing in what seemed like a circle of bodies. I turned to the side to see Kanda stretched out along the ground, a pool of blood growing under him.

"_Kanda," _I cried out as I knelt down beside him, turning him over in my arms. His dark eyes searched for mine, his hand coming up to stroke my cheek. _"Who did this? Who did this to you?" _

He only gave me a brief smile before going limp, his life filled eyes going blank. I stared at his still body for what seemed like hours, my tears refusing to stop. I called his name over and over again, but he didn't move. I screamed till my throat became raw, wishing for everything to just be normal again.

"_You killed us, Nova." _A chorus of voices rang throughout the dream, merging into one. Mine.

I bolted up in my bed, damp with cold sweat as I panted, my breath coming out in short gasps. Tigress jerked awake, her Innocence colored eyes wide and alert. When she saw that I was in panic mode, she rubbed her head into my body, letting me know that she was here. I noticed that my cheeks were wet with tears. Realizing that it was all a dream, and _not _real, I collapsed into my arms, running my hands through my hair as I tried to get my entire body to stop shaking. I closed my eyes, seeing everything from before behind my eyelids.

Ever since I stopped fighting, these nightmares started happening. I wasn't getting enough sleep so I had to use makeup to hide most of the effects. I haven't told anyone that I haven't been sleeping well, and I was lucky that no one was noticing yet. I had to face these demons of mine alone. But I didn't know how.

Pushing myself off of my bed, I slipped on a pair of boots and tied my eye patch, pulling my hair into a bun. Glancing back at Tigress, I made a sign for her to stay. I needed to get away from these nightmares. I stepped out of my room and checked the halls to see if anyone was outside. Seeing that it was just me, I let out a small sigh and walked towards the railing, leaning against it. I put my head into my hands, feeling that they were ice cold.

I didn't know what to do with these nightmares anymore. They were slowly ruining me and I didn't want that to happen.

"Having trouble sleeping, Nova?" It was such a soft whisper, I wasn't sure I had heard it until I felt a tap on my shoulder. Jolting up in surprise, I turned to see Allen behind me in a simple white t-shirt and pajama pants, carrying a glass of water in his hand. He had a concerned look in his eyes.

"N-no, I just wanted some air." The silver haired teen leaned against a column next to me, tipping the glass of water back to take a sip.

"Really, because being out and about at three in the morning isn't exactly normal for someone who wants air."

I solidly met his already knowing gaze. There was a small smile on his lips as he ran a hand through his white hair. I really didn't want to admit it.

"It's nothing, Allen. Really, I'm fine." I received a look from the exorcist which made me break my gaze from him.

"I have them too sometimes, you know. It isn't a bad thing to admit, Nova." Allen quietly said as he took another sip of water. I could feel his gaze on me, noticing the heavy bags under my eyes. I bit my lip in hesitation, my eyes glued to the floor when I decided that that was it. After months of torture, I can't just let it boil up inside me anymore.

"How did you get over it? Those nightmares,"

"I said to myself that I wouldn't be afraid of death anymore. We're all going to die someday. I just want to delay it as much as possible."

"But what if mine isn't even _about _death? I dream every time of the people I've lost and the people I've faced in battle. People I love are dying at my feet. They won't go away, Allen." I whispered as I clenched my fists at the cold fear that was creeping up behind me. I hated it. "I want them to disappear."

"…is this about going back into the field?" Allen's question made my head snap up, my astonished gaze meeting his calm one. I remained silent.

"So you aren't sure yet…" He trailed off, tilting his head to the side.

"I'm…afraid." I paused for a moment as I took a breath. "I don't have Innocence anymore. So I don't feel as connected. If I get hurt I won't heal as fast. Since my Innocence was taken from me, all I've felt so far is fear and I don't understand _why. _Fear is slowly consuming me from the inside out and I can't figure out _why _that is." I whispered as I closed my eye, shaking my head furiously.

"You're afraid of dying." Allen honestly said, his voice quiet. I let the thought sink in, realizing that that might be true. I gave him a nod.

"Afraid of getting more injured than last time. Afraid of losing people you love. If you want to fight these feelings, you'll have to figure a way for you to get back into action. The only way to defeat your demons is if you face them." Allen said after a moment, raising his silver eyed gaze to meet my own. "I have a feeling we'll be having a new enemy soon, with these Masks going around. If you want to face them, this might be your chance."

I silently nodded, giving him a small smile. Then the cheery Allen I knew returned the seriousness on his face gone. He gave me a grin before reaching out to give me a pat on the head.

"I think that's the only lesson I can give you." He said before he gulped down the last of his water.

"Thanks Allen," I gave him a small grateful smile actually meaning it.

"No problem. I think it's a good thing to let these things out. It's not always the best thing to keep stuff like this in." The silver haired exorcist replied before walking away to head back to his room. I watched him give me a wave before entering his room, the soft click of the door echoing through the empty hall.

Realizing that I was the only one out now, I headed back into my room and sat on the edge of my bed. I stared down at my hands, still having that image of me holding my sword in my head. I missed that feeling.

If I wanted to face my demons, I would have to fight them. I needed to get back into the field to do that.

**~.~.~.~.~**

**[General Tiedoll]**

In the dim lamplight, it was hard to see the words, but I managed. With General Klaud's help, she and I were now sifting through files in Komui's office. It was three in morning and everyone was asleep. Now was the only time. When the issue of Cross' disappearance arose, Klaud and I immediately listed off our options. Narrowing them down, we both decided to go into the files room and see if there was any actual information about the Masks, or people who were similar to them.

The fact that the room was cluttered with a sea of papers didn't help, giving off the hazard of tripping. That didn't stop Klaud and me to scurry around his office to pull out books and skim through them. We weren't sure what we were looking for, but we had to try. If the Masks attacked Cross, there must be a good reason. They must have a motive. And we were going to find out.

"Hey, found something." Klaud quietly said, the papers under her crinkling as she pulled out a file in the shelves behind Komui's desk. I wandered over quickly, the papers behind me lifting up before falling flat again. The General moved so I could get a view. Skimming the typed words, I caught their recent appearances as they acquired materials for some sort of construction. The materials mentioned were odd: titanium metal, various types of stones, and much more. As their appearances were noted, I began to see a correlation. They were around when Cynthia Krest was still alive. Why that thought occurred to me was something I didn't understand.

"They were here when Cynthia was still alive." I whispered as Klaud met my gaze.

"Why did you notice that?" She inquired, her brows furrowing as she tried to make sense of the matter. I gave her a shrug, unsure of it myself.

"Maybe because Cynthia was at the height of her work at the time? The woman had done so many great things, leaving us with some inventions that she created herself, as well as a handful of Innocence she collected by her hand."

"Could the things she had created have something to do with this? These Masks?" Klaud said aloud, the gears in both of our brains beginning to turn.

"Are there any records of her work in this place?" I turned and scanned the places we both hadn't touched yet. Wandering over to it, I traced the bindings of the books and folders, looking at the labels.

"I don't think so…I feel like it just can't be publically accessed. She was one of our top exorcists. There must be secrets about her that must be kept in a restricted place." Klaud replied, stopping her search.

"Does Nova know about her mother? Does she even know what she's done in the past years?"

"No, it seems like the only knowledge she knows of her mother was that she was an exorcist."

"Hm…perhaps she'll be the one to dig up her own mother's secrets. Let's keep looking here for those Masks."

**~.~.~.~.~**

**[Kanda]**

In the morning, I found out that I was assigned to the unit that would go out and observe the Masks. Lately all our missions were reconnaissance, but now I have this feeling that these Masks were going to be our newest opponent. Lyra happily jumped up to me as I was heading towards the dining hall with a folder in her hands. She looked like she didn't even run on caffeine, just pure personality.

"Kanda! I've got a mission for you! Want me to talk about it?" She chirped as she passed me the black folder, the list of the other unit members inside. I sent her a look but she didn't seem to mind, only continuing to badger on about the mission.

"Orders are from Nova! She says that this unit is going to go to the location of where the Masks will be at next. The members of your unit are Victoria, Lavi, the Finder, and you."

"Only four?" I uttered as I came to a stop, flipping open the folder to see that it was indeed true. Lyra surprised me when she let out a gasp, making me turn attention to her.

"What is it?"

"You-you actually responded back to me!" She exclaimed in awe, her finger pointing at me. I rolled my eyes, closing the folder and setting it in between my arm and side.

"I can actually hold a conversation, you know." I grumbled back as I began to walk again.

"Wow! He's actually talking to me! Yes!" Lyra happily said as she suddenly latched on to my arm, a delighted look on her face.

"Hey, get off." I said as I tried to shake her off. She clung like a doll.

"But yes! Only four people are in the unit. I guess Nova doesn't want anyone getting too hurt this time so she lowered the number." She stated as she ended with a hum. I was headed into the direction of the dining hall to get some breakfast and Lyra was tagging along with me, great.

We turned the corner of the hall, only to see the leader of the Head Operations herself. She was speaking with Victoria and was dressed in what looked like training gear? What was she up to?

"Hey, Nova!" Lyra cheerfully greeted, waving her free hand as she kept the other latched on to my arm. The brunette paused in her conversation to see us coming, arching her eyebrow as she caught sight of Lyra attached to my hip. She had an amused look in her eye as we stopped in front of her.

"Hi guys." She softly said in return, nodding her head at the both of us.

"She was just telling me about the mission." Victoria explained, clad in her exorcist gear.

"There are only four of us this time."

"Right, I'm sure Lyra here told you already but I just don't want anyone getting hurt, hopefully the lesser the number the better," Nova revealed as she met my gaze, her silver eye gleaming.

"If anything happens, let me know immediately, understand?" She added, her voice becoming serious like. The two of us, Victoria and I, nodded.

"Wait so why are _you _dressed up like that, Nova?" Lyra said, speaking since we first saw her. The brunette glanced down at her choice in clothing and met the strawberry haired girl's gaze.

"I'm going to train for a bit while you're gone." She replied with a smile. I blinked in surprise. This was new. When did she decide that she was going to do that?

"Wow. Why so sudden?" Victoria inquired with a curious look in her blue eyes. A look of hesitation appeared Nova's eye before it disappeared. I noticed it immediately.

"I just feel like I haven't done anything in a while." She replied after a beat. The expression on Victoria's face seemed like she didn't believe her words but she accepted it anyway.

"I see. Well, we'll keep you posted. You want us to leave now?"

"If you'd like. You can get Lavi and go. The location the Finder gave me is in the folder."

I met Victoria's gaze and saw that she wanted to leave. Nodding, she said that she would go find him and meet up at the canals. To my surprise, Lyra offered to go with her. And even more surprising, the quiet exorcist let her come. Now I was left with Nova in the middle of the hallway. Without a second to spare, I decided to bring up the training business.

"So, training?" I arched a brow, pressing my lips together as I saw Nova break out into a grin. I smiled back at her but I noticed now that I was standing close to her that she looked more exhausted than usual.

"Yup, I'm gonna bring back everything I've lost since I've been out of the field."

"….so you're coming back?"

"Maybe,"

I gave her a look as she stared back at me, her arms crossed in front of her. I scanned her face as I slowly began to notice how tired she really looked. Those were mainly symptoms of no sleep. Moving closer to her, I held her face in between my hands, gazing into her eye. She searched my own in silence, a questioning look in her eye.

"What is it?"

"You haven't been sleeping well." I said with concern in my voice.

She blinked a few times, confirming my suspicions immediately.

"Has this been going on for a while? Since you stopped fighting?" I asked, not liking how she didn't reply immediately. It began to gnaw at me: the fact that I didn't notice until now. It made me think I wasn't good enough to be here for her.

"Nova," I softly said, seeing the wall that she put up slowly crumble. She still didn't answer. I closed my eyes and pressed my forehead against hers, pulling her against me.

"I'm sorry I didn't notice until now. You've been hurting. It's my fault I didn't notice sooner."

"No," Her voice came out in a whisper, cracking slightly. "It's not your fault, Yuu." I stiffened when she spoke my first name, having not heard it in a while. It was during moments like these when she would let them slip out. Moments I loved. I only hugged her tighter, not wanting to let her go. When she buried her head into my shoulder, I felt her shoulders shake and let her lean against me.

I would become her shield if she needed it, her refuge if she wanted it. I would become anything for her.

I just didn't want to leave her to face her demons alone.

**~.~.~.~.~**

**[Lavi]**

"Let's go! Where is he?!" I exclaimed as I paced around the dock of the canal, Victoria silent beside me.

"He'll be here."

"I know he'll be here, but he should hurry! I finally get to go on a mission with the both of you!"

"You've wanted to go on a mission with me?" Victoria asked in an astonished voice. I turned to her, my eyebrows raised and grinned, chuckling.

"Of course! We were told of your pretty awesome stories back then. And now that you're actually here, living in the flesh, I'd like to see what you look like in a battle. If we get into one," I replied, putting my hands behind my head. The black haired girl stared at me for a moment before nodding, seeming to understand.

"If we don't, we should spar one day." She suggested, her tone hopeful.

"I think that would work out—oh look! Here he is! The guest of honor!" I greeted Kanda as he approached, rolling his eyes at my way to say hello.

"I know I'm late. Let's go." He growled as he climbed into the boat, not even pausing for a second. I jumped in after him, Victoria coming on board last.

"We're only going out to observe them. But the following words are Nova's orders: if anything happens, inform her immediately. Got it?" Victoria said as she pushed the boat into motion, taking position at the end of it.

"Yup!" I cheerfully said, giving her a mock salute. She rolled her eyes at me, a tug at the corner of her lips.

"And we're off."

As we boarded the train, we chose seats near the window, a few minutes early. I flopped down into a seat, sighing before I hopped back up to set my briefcase up on top. The other members did the same, each in their respective positions. About ten minutes in, the train began to move and we were all seated, Kanda quietly reading the folder, Victoria silently looking out the window. I had no idea what to do.

"So…anyone want to play a game?" I offered.

Sighing, I got no response and hung my head in my hands. This was going to be a very quiet ride.

I'm hoping that this little observation mission would be simple, just watching the Masks do their things, write down information and book it back to the Order. I was hoping that it would be that effortless. But normally, the things I hope tend to get crushed under the harsh reality that things don't go that way. I should have realized that as soon as the entire Order heard about the disappearance of Cross (for real this time), we should have suspected that something was up.

The entire team didn't grasp that idea until someone came up to us and threw a huge flaming ball of fire at our faces.

**~.~.~.~.~**

**[Nova]**

It took everything within me to keep going. Before deciding to run laps, I grabbed a training sword and began to practice my stances again, slashing in mid air and using different evasion techniques as I dodged and rolled across the mats. My muscles were screaming in pain as I ran inside of the training room. I had to bring back everything I had lost in order to be at the level once again. I pumped my arms as I passed a beam, feeling the drops of sweat roll down my back as I glanced at the clock on the wall. Seeing that it was near noon I slowed down my pace and came to a walk, panting as I took in a lungful of oxygen. Stretching my arms and legs, I grabbed a cup of water and gulped it down greedily, resting the back of my hand against my forehead, closing my eyes.

I had to be ready to face my demons.

As I grabbed my towel and looped it around my neck, I was about to exit the training room when I paused. Though I couldn't see anything, I was sensing something. Like something was coming. Turning on my feet, I glanced around the room to spot anything suspicious but came up with nothing. Then what was this feeling? I wandered over to the middle of the room and stared down at the floor, listening hard.

That was when I heard it: the very faint sound of wings flapping quickly. Snapping my head up, I whirled around trying to search for the source. Not seeing anything that looked like a bird, I stood there puzzled for a moment when the window to the training room burst into fragments of glass. Flinching, I shielded my face in time to catch a yellow looking blob tumble in. I widened my eye when I saw that familiar design.

It took me a millisecond to recognize him.

"Timcampy!" I ran towards him, careful of the glass and scooped him into my hands, a bright grin on my face. I brought him close and gushed as he fluttered his wings, trying to see if he could still move. "How did you get here? Why are you—no way, it's Cross isn't it? Cross sent you?"

The living golem fluttered out of my fingertips to open its large mouth, a rolled up piece of paper coming up. Grabbing it, I unrolled it and noted the message in the scrawl of his handwriting. After a moment I gaped as I re-read it again and again. With shaky hands, I slid my gaze up to Timcampy who was hovering in front of me and looked back at the message.

_The Masks goal might have something to do with your mother. Look into the restricted files of the Order about her. I wouldn't normally tell you to do this but now's not the time to regret any decisions.  
You need to know. Now. Your mother was something other than an exorcist. _

_Find what you need to know and tell Timcampy to come back._

_-C_

"My mom? She's something more?" I muttered as I glanced at Timcampy once more. He was still fluttering about, glad that he was able to get here. I stuffed the note into my pocket and gestured for the golem to sit on my shoulder and as I turned and left the room.

My mother was something other than an exorcist. But what? What kind of information did Komui withhold from me? Important and or dangerous enough for me to not have to know?

I burst into my office to grab the keys to the old records of the Order that I had access to. Pulling them out from a drawer, I ignored the huge stack of papers and files cluttered around my desk and was about to head to the Archives section when my intercom suddenly filled with static. Freezing, I paused for a second to register Victoria's voice calling for my name.

Mother would have to wait.

Dashing to my desk, I grabbed the device nearly dropping it and clicked it on. "What's wrong, Victoria? Did something happen?" I frantically asked, trying not to notice the tight feeling in my stomach.

"Nova—we've encountered a hostile—" her voice was clipping off at parts, not all of her words slipping through.

"What?! Is it a Mask? Are you all alright? How did they know you were there?"

"I—I dunno, but I _do _know that they're nothing like we've seen before. They have strange weapons, like elements or something."

"Are you all okay? Anyone hurt?"

"We're trying to fend him off while we retreat but he keeps following us as if he wants something. Lavi has some bad burns and we're all a bit bruised from the surprise attack. You told us to let you know if something went wrong. It has. What are your orders, Nova?"

I stayed silent for a moment, Cross's letter vivid in my head. Biting the bottom of my lip, I turned and began to head out the door. "Ask questions. What they want, why they're attacking you, who they're working for. If they don't answer which is likely, don't let them provoke you. Get them to retreat instead of you."

"What're you going to do?"

"I think I might find something about the Masks goal."

I walked through the halls, wary of those around me as I quickly headed over to the Archives. I didn't like how the Generals or Komui hid information about my mother. What exactly did she do?

"How come?"

"Cross contacted me through his golem. He's alive and he told me to—"

"_Victoria! Get back!" _I heard Kanda suddenly yell in the background, making me halt in my words. That's right. He's with them as well. I hoped with all my heart that he would return in one piece.

I boarded the elevator shaft and pulled the lever, slightly nervous of what I might find down in the restricted files. "Is everything alright?" There was static on the other side and a clip of faint yells. As I descended, so did my stomach. I wasn't getting a good feeling at all and it bothered me. A click of the intercom notified me that someone was about to speak.

"Why hello there," That voice was not Victoria's. It belonged to a man, his voice smooth and cheery. I stiffened at the sound of it, aware that Victoria must have dropped it or something when dodging that attack.

"_Don't answer him! Whatever he asks!" _Kanda's voice cut through the silence, sounding furious. _"Give that back now, before I cut you into pieces!" _

"To whom am I speaking with?" The man inquired, seeming to ignore Kanda's death threats. I wondered why he wouldn't just attack the man already. Was there something making him unable to do so? I remained silent on the line, already knowing that I was speaking with one of the Masks.

"Well…whoever this is, I'd just like to let you know: we've been aware of your presence for a very long time, even at the beginnings of your observations of us." So they knew. Ever since we started. I clenched my jaw at this man's words, the elevator reaching the floor I wanted. Stepping off, I walked towards the huge door of the Archives, his mouth still blabbering.

"We're after something your precious Order has hidden from us and we'd like to speak to the last descendent of the Krest lineage as well as Mr. Marian Cross's apprentice. If you don't allow us to speak to these two people, we will use force and come for the answers we need. Can you do that?"

I stayed in the serenity of silence as I raised the ring of keys to the door, a scanner coming out to scan the certain shape I created with them. The silver door of the Archive whirred as it unlocked, pulling open.

"Well then. I suppose we'll be coming for them then. Goodbye." The line clicked dead instantly, severing my connection to the unit I currently had outside these walls. Clenching my fists, I pushed aside the fact that the Masks were after Allen and me and stepped into the room, the smell of old records smacking my nose. Heading further in, the door slowly swung in, closing and locking.

Whatever Cross was talking about better be important.

Wandering past the shelves and shelves of books and folders, I stopped in front of a wall and felt against the tile for the right one. I had figured out this little trick when I was here at some point, putting away old records when I was still an Exorcist Assistant. My little wandering eye caught the little scheme the Order had put up to conceal the restricted files. Tapping the hollow tile, it slid away to reveal a small keypad. Pulling out a glove from my pocket, I slipped it on and typed in the code I also saw back then.

As the tile slid back into place, the outline of a door began to appear against the tiles, a chunk of it slowly pushing out. Slipping in through the door as it closed shut; I felt around for a light switch and found it, flicking it on. What I stared at in silence was shocking.

A young man with an ocean type skin tone clad in a white t-shirt sat hunched over a desk, scribbling something with a feathered pen. He had a lean body, a head of short blonde hair, black intricate _words _scrawled onto his skin. Surrounding him were dozens upon dozens of books and papers, all filled with his writing.

When he noticed that I had flicked the lights on, he sat up in his chair, scratched his head and turned around. The moment he saw me, his eyes a soft brown, widened as he stood up from his chair, his mouth wide open. What in the world was a _person_ doing inside this place?!

"Uh, hi." The blue skinned boy sheepishly greeted as he gave me a wave.

**~.~.~.~.~**

**And that's the end! Who's this mysterious blue skinned boy? Take a guess. He IS inside the restricted files of the Archives. :) Leave a review and lemme know what you thought of the new chapter! I'll try to update every week! Soon we'll know about Cynthia's secrets!**

**-FallenWing21**


	3. Chapter 3: Living Distant

**Happy Holidays as well as a Merry Christmas! I'm posting this a day after Christmas so that you all could have the chance to spend your time with your families. :) So consider this a present from me to you!**

**I'd like to thank: glorian175, BloodStainsOnMyKisses, and MistGirl1423 for favoriting, following, and or adding me to your favorites list as an author! You guys are awesome and I can't wait to see this list just grow and grow. :) **

**Also, thanks to those who reviewed! They make me all fluttery inside whenever I read one. So thanks a lot!**

**So not much action in this chapter either. Sorry about that but I suppose it's not time yet for the plot. I hope you enjoy this new chapter!**

**~.~.~.~.~**

**Chapter 3: Living Distant**

**~.~.~.~.~**

**[Nova]**

I could only gape in shock at what I was seeing. A person was inside a sealed room! And he looked like he was perfectly normal! My eye twitched as I tried to make sense of this, all the while receiving waves in front of my face.

"Hello? Hello?"

My eyes registered the words that were etched into his skin. I realized with astonishment that I couldn't read the writing, deducting that it could be ancient writing. The only thought that kept running through my head was why was his skin blue of all colors?

"Are you in there?" A blue skin toned hand obscured my single eye, making me jump back into reality.

"O-oh, sorry," I muttered as I rubbed my eye, making sure that this young man was actually here in front of me.

"This is very rare for me to see another person! Not a lot of people come here." The blonde teen said with a slightly nervous smile. He wandered over to his desk and opened a side door to pull out a tea set. "Here, why don't you…uh sit down and I can make us some tea?"

"Oh there's no—"

"Here you go." A cup of tea was handed to me immediately, cutting off my words. Without protest, I reluctantly took the cup and sat down on a stool that he provided, taking a seat in his own chair.

"Thank you," Sipping the tea, I took a glance at the room of restricted files, still not able to understand why a human would be in here. Or even how he survived this long.

"So tell me, what's your name?" He inquired, leaning forward expectantly. I was surprised by the look of curiosity in his brown eyes, suddenly realizing how little company he must have.

"Well…what's yours?"

"You answer first." The blonde replied with a grin, quirking an eyebrow. I noticed that he was quite cute. I gave him a brief smile and nodded, lowering my cup on to my lap.

"I'm Nova, and you are?"

"I'm Shiki! It's nice to meet you!" He excitedly replied, sloshing his tea around in his cup.

"Well Shiki…would you mind telling me why you're in here?"

"No problem! I'm the keeper of all the records! I can tell you anything and everything here in this room as well as anything that gets added to it!" He cheerfully replied, gulping down the rest of his tea.

"Wait…anything?" I began, raising an eyebrow at the blue skinned boy. When I received an energetic nod in return, I sighed slightly and cleared my throat. "Then could you tell me about an exorcist named Cynthia Krest?"

Shiki remained silent for a moment, a blank look appearing in his brown eyes. I blinked in astonishment as he stayed still, his gaze seeming to scrutinize me. "What?" I said after a moment, becoming a bit tense.

"Why do you want to know about her?" Shiki suddenly said in a serious tone, the soft look in his brown eyes now icy cold. The atmosphere in the room became chilly, making me fidget a little.

"Well...she _is _my mother." Shiki gave me a soft gasp, his eyes gazing into my own. He stared at me for who knows how long before practically _leaping _off of his chair to grab my hands into his own, startling me.

"She's your mother?! That's amazing! I didn't know she had another child! I can't believe this! This is a lucky day for me indeed! I only knew of Patrick! How is he by the way? I haven't heard from him in a while!" He grinned as he shook my hands up and down in excitement. At the mention of my brother, I gave him a sad smile, making him stop.

"What? What's wrong? Did something happen to Patrick?"

So he doesn't know. As a records keeper he doesn't _know. _

"Patrick…is gone now. He was protecting me…" I quietly said in return, catching the look of grief appear in Shiki's eyes.

"H-he….he's gone? And no one bothered to even tell me?!" He suddenly said in an outburst, his handsome features transforming into a snarl. I put my hands up in front of him instantly, placing them on his lean shoulders.

"Whoa hold it right there, Shiki. Calm down…"

"Calm down?! I can't calm down when I just found out that he's _gone!" _

I winced at his raised voice as I lowered my arms, crossing them in front of me. As he paced around the room muttering incoherent words under his breath, I took in the huge amount of books and files jammed into this one little room. How Shiki was able to either know or memorize all this was incredible. I was startled out of my daze when the clatter of a tea cup hit the floor. I glanced over to see the empty cup tipped over on its side, knocked over by Shiki's foot. While I let him vent out what he was feeling, I grabbed the pair of teacups and set it back on the tray where he left it, glancing over to the writing I had interrupted him in.

"No! Don't look at that!" Shiki suddenly cried out as he covered the page he was on with both of his arms. I backed away slightly, hearing the table creak from his weight. "You can't see restricted information!"

"S-sorry…and I know that you just found out about Patrick…but…I was wondering if I could learn more about my mother…" I quietly said, meeting his eyes in silence. I caught the hesitation in them, making me rethink about this entire thing. It's kind of rude to just brush off someone's grief.

"…right. That's the main reason you came here right?" He said it like more a statement than a question, shutting the folder he was writing in. He still seemed a bit bothered by the recent information of Patrick's death, but he gestured for me to sit back on the stool I was previously in. I now didn't want to trek into this information but I didn't have a choice anymore.

"The information I'm about to give you is extremely confidential and I would normally not let anyone else hear this but I'm allowing you to because I know that you're her daughter. I can see her in you. Anyway, your mother was more than an exorcist during her time. She was an experimenter, a scientist if you will. She was always looking for a way to create something that would affect the world in some way. And during her last years of being an exorcist, she had accomplished it." Shiki explained with a nostalgic smile, his hand running across the various words on his blue tinged skin. I noticed that there was a cheerless gaze in his eyes.

"She had created me as well as others like me."

"Like you? You mean you're not human?"

"No…we're not. I'm sure that the blue skin threw you off, didn't it?" Shiki asked with a smirk, making me grin as I gave him a nod. "We're more like…entities rather than humans. Or maybe a mix of both? I'm not too sure, but I know that we're not normal. Cynthia created each one of us for a specific reason: for me, my role was to store vast amounts of knowledge into this head of mine, an ability she somehow designed for me. The others were created for specific jobs as well, though I don't know their whereabouts at the moment. She told all of us that we had a purpose and that we should leave our mark on the world as hybrid human-entities."

"Did her creation of you and the others attract all kinds of attention?"

Shiki took a breath, a smile appearing on his lips. "Of course it did. We weren't something normal after all. The Black Order as well as other underground cults wanted us. They saw us either as weapons or an important asset that they desperately needed to possess. We all were convinced that this was the purpose she created us for."

"If…they wanted you as weapons, then you must have something built within you to defend yourself?" Shiki smiled sadly before nodding, extending his arm.

"Yes…sadly." The words on his skin pulsed gold before a black diamond appeared on the back of his hand. His nails then became etched with strange symbols. It seemed like the atmosphere in the room changed with this sudden occurrence. "For me…my power is a Mage. I don't know what to use this power for though, so I keep it locked away."

"I…see. Maybe you'll have to use it soon." Shiki took a breath and willed the symbols to disappear, his hand returning to normal.

"Why's that?"

"Have you…encountered anyone who goes by the name of the Masks?" The question made Shiki go deep in thought for a moment, his eyes shut as he collected his thoughts. "I think their recent attack on General Cross has something to do with this and I think they might become our newest enemy."

"General Cross you say? Hmm…I do believe he and Cynthia both came here at some point. She showed him me and told him about what she had created. It could be that these Masks you are talking about could be those very same people from back then…"

"Back then?"

"When we were first created there was one specific group that had attacked the Order to gain information about the procedure to form us. They went by the name of Crux and had countless numbers. During their ruthless attack, they had used some sort of strange power with the elements, catching all of those inside the Black Order off guard. Those there at the time fended them off and only let them escape with a fraction of the information, but yet. It was still a fraction. It might have been enough to start it again. These Masks may be the same people."

"What do they want to start?" I inquired, the answer beginning to gnaw at the back of my head. Shiki met my gaze and tilted his blonde head to the side, crossing his arms.

"I think you already know, Nova, but from what I've known through all these years, I think they're going to try and create another hybrid human-entity. But for what reason? That is yet to come. And as to why General Cross got attacked? My best guess is that the Masks want to dispose of anyone who knows of Cynthia's work."

"…I see…" I trailed off as some things began to connect inside my head. Their use of elements, attacking General Cross, all of it was slowly but surely falling into place. "Thank you so much for your help, Shiki." I placed my hands over his as I gave him a grin, seeing him smile in return.

"Why don't you drop by sometime? I could use a break from being cooped up in here all the time."

"You can't leave?"

"Sadly, no, when Cynthia was still alive she had allowed my attachment here to roam free but when she died, those at the top of the Order chained me down into this room. I don't eat, or sleep, but I do have feelings…What they did wasn't very kind." Anger built up inside of me at the mention of the top brass and their ruthlessness.

"No, it wasn't. I'll come by as much as I can, alright? Mind if I let my other friends come and talk to you too?" Shiki lit up like a light bulb at the mention of other people, looking giddy.

"No! I don't mind at all! By all means, they can come over! Oh…just make sure it's in secret alright? No one really likes anyone talking to me. And by no one…"

"The top brass right?" I interrupted with a bitter look, catching the look of agreement in his eyes.

"Yes, though I can't say I don't like this vast access to knowledge. It's my duty as a hybrid human-entity. This is my domain."

"Ah, I see…I have something else to ask you…" I began, clasping my hands together. Shiki nodded, urging me to continue as a small smirk appeared on his lips.

"Go ahead!"

"…is there a reason this information was hidden? Why no one would want to inform my mother's _only _daughter what she's done?" I gazed at the boy in front of me, catching the deep in thought look he was currently displaying. Why would they hide this information from me? Was there a reason?

"Hmm…from what I know about this experiment, I think they would keep it a secret because it's just kind of a crazy phenomenon, right?" Shiki replied, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. I pursed my lips in thought and nodded, giving a lift of my shoulder in agreement.

"I guess…" I trailed off as I absentmindedly stood up from the stool. A soft hand grasped mine, breaking me out of my stray thoughts. Shiki stood in front of me, about an inch taller than me with a grateful smile on his lips.

"Listen…thanks for telling me about Patrick. I'm sure that I wouldn't have found out in another ten years if you hadn't told me."

I gave him a nod in return, smiling. "Of course and thank you for telling me about my mother," As I activated the sealed door once more, I turned back to see Shiki grinning as he waved me goodbye. Smiling in return, I exited the room silently, the information I just received now brooding inside my mind.

**~.~.~.~.~**

**[Victoria]**

"Why do you need to speak to them?" I demanded as I clenched my chains in hands. Kanda tried to contain his temper but it looked like it was about to get the best of him.

The man in front of us had a black and gold cloak, his hood pulled down. He possessed a head of brown hair and hazel eyes, a deadly aura emanating from his cheerful expression. He had appeared out of nowhere and blasted a blazing fireball into our faces, catching us off guard from our observation spots. How he was able to do that was beyond me. I had never seen anything like it. Was it something akin to black magic?

"I suppose I could give you a little preview. We're going to start something that one of your legendary exorcists pulled off. I'd like to speak to those two because they know." The man replied with a wide grin on his face as he let out a little chuckle.

"Know…?"

"That's all I'm telling!"

"Don't you dare go near them!" Kanda growled as his grip around the hilt of Mugen tightened.

"Oho~ I'm terrified! Well…I'm sure I'll see you all again soon! Enjoy this little present!" He exclaimed as he suddenly disappeared into a swirl of fire. My eyes locked onto the growing ball of flames in the spot he was just in.

"Get back!" I yelled as I leaped away from the ball of fire, turning in mid air. The others followed my lead, Lavi the furthest away and bleeding. Before we could get any further, the ball of fire exploded and blew all of us off of our feet and onto the ground.

"Ugh…who was that guy?" Lavi groaned in pain as we all struggled to get up on to our feet. Fiery pain was all over my body but I paid no mind to it as I wandered over to the remains of the intercom that the man had crushed. Picking the pieces up, I concluded that it was irreparable and tossed it over my shoulder.

"How should I know?" Kanda barked in return, brushing off his coat and sheathing his Innocence. His eyes were blazing with fire.

"C'mon. Let's head back. Maybe Nova's found something."

"Hm? About what exactly?" Lavi said as he walked next to Kanda. I led the two of them through the forest and back to the town, explaining to them the conversation I had with Nova earlier. Before that man destroyed the intercom.

"Cross sent her a letter, huh?"

"If this is our new enemy…I don't like it one bit," Kanda grumbled as he ran a hand down his face, seeming exhausted.

**~.~.~.~.~**

**[Cross]**

At the sound of the whistle, I turned away from the train I got off on and pulled my coat close to me. From here, no one knew who I was. With my familiar dark red hair pulled in a ponytail and tucked safely under my jacket, no one could recognize me instantly. These clothes and the minimal amount of money in my pocket at the moment were all I had so far. Making my way out of the station, I shoved my way past the bustling crowd and took a view of the city I was in.

The sky was a darkening blue and the stars in the night were beginning to appear. Landmarks of statues and ancient yet in use buildings surrounded me as I walked around a bit. There were a fair amount of people prowling the streets but not enough to be overly crowded. The slight chatter that shimmered through the air wasn't that distracting either. Street lights appeared welcoming and registering that it was only a bit warmer from my first location, I was appalled by how peaceful this place was.

She had found a really nice place to settle.

I took out an old crumpled piece of paper from a locket around my neck. Careful not to let it fly away, I squinted closely at the scribbled handwriting, only to be classified as Cynthia's. Reading the address she had written years ago, I folded it back into itself and pressed it back into the locket. Proceeding to ask for directions with much difficulty since the people here were foreign to me, I tried to follow the directions as thoroughly as I could.

Walking up under a street light, I gazed forward and saw the building that was apparently the address Cynthia wrote. She had given me all the locations of her creations in secret, trusting that I would never have to find them. Now I had to. The building looked like a college, dozens of lights shining through from the inside. Bracing myself for social contact, I trudged forward with my hands shoved into my coat pockets. I pushed open the door to the college silently and stepped in, relishing the warmth that enveloped me.

I noted that there were a few students walking around, not really paying attention my presence. Glancing around in hopes for assistance, I cleared my throat quietly only to catch the attention of a young looking boy with rectangular glasses. He was dressed in a white long sleeved shirt topped with a sweater and dark pants. Clearly a college student.

"Um do you need help with something? You don't look like you're from the school…" The boy curiously said, tilting his head to the side. I pursed my lips, reluctant in really speaking, but nodded anyway.

"Yeah…I'm looking for someone here."

"Oh? A teacher maybe?"

"…maybe,"

"Okay then…if you could give me a name I might be able to help."

"She goes by Schrader." At the mention of the name, a look of recognition passed through the boy's eyes, his eyebrows arching.

"Whoa wait you know Ms. Schrader?! That's awesome! She's my teacher! C'mon, this way, sir!" He excitedly said as he turned and began to lead me through the gigantic halls. I followed after him closely, ignoring the curious and interested stares from the other students who passed by. As the boy pushed open the door to a classroom, I immediately smirked, seeing the displays of her profession right in front of me. She was a chemist and was constantly enthralled by everything in the world. That was _her _purpose.

"Ms. Schrader, someone's here to see you. He says he knows you?" The boy greeted as I closed the door shut behind me.

"A visitor? For _me? _How rare!" A jolly, intrigued voice replied in return. I could already imagine her heart shaped face and different colored eyes. "Thank you for bringing him here, Jordan. I hope you study hard for that test tomorrow!"

I kept my gaze to the floor as I stepped to the side to let the kid exit. As he did, I felt his hand pat my arm lightly. "Good luck, man." He whispered before leaving. I inwardly smirked at his comment. Luck? I would need more than luck.

"I haven't seen your face in a while," The still cheerful voice resonating in my ears. I let out a small smile as I raised my head, seeing the bright grin that Schrader was giving me.

She completely changed from the last time I saw her. The previous time I met her was when she was in such a state of disarray and confusion, her mismatched eyes filled with such sadness. Her strawberry blonde hair was chopped short and it exposed her and her emotions. That was when the Order began demanding that Cynthia hand over all of her creations even though the purpose of them was not to become weapons. The legendary exorcist had then gone to lengths to get her hybrid humans out of the records. This was why I didn't want to disturb them anymore. They deserve their freedom. They don't need to be captive.

"Yeah…I was hoping I'd never have to come by and bother you while you live your life here."

"Oh please, don't give me that. It's nice to see certain people from the Order now and again. Come, come sit." Schrader greeted as she gestured towards one of the tables in front of her large desk.

The Schrader I saw now was more radiant and warm, as if her aura could simply bring a smile to anyone else's face. Her strawberry colored hair was now long and pulled into a French braid and the look in her blue and green eyes was just pure fascination with the world. She didn't possess a different colored skin like Shiki, but she did have markings all over her like the rest of them. The words that were used to create them. That I knew.

I leaned against one of her desks as she did the same to her own, looking me up and down. After a once over, she gave me a nod before reaching into her pocket to toss me a piece of candy.

"You look like someone ran over you with a bus, Cross." She noted as she unwrapped the sugar candy.

I let out a little chuckle, humored by her honesty. "Things happened. I got over it."

"Right, so how are you? How's everyone? Is Cynthia healthy and beautiful as always?" I paused, registering the fact that she didn't know that her creator was dead.

"Ah…you see…"

"She's gone, isn't she? She got killed by the job she loved most, didn't she?" Schrader suddenly said, her voice wistful. I met her gaze and nodded silently, seeing her exhale inaudibly between her pursed lips.

"I see…that's alright I suppose. She kept us alive and let us be free. That's a price I'll never be able to pay back to her." She continued after a moment, letting out a small sigh. "Anyway, I know it's nice to see you again and I'd like to catch up and all, but why are you here? There certainly has to be a reason for your sudden visit?"

"Your right, I suppose I'll just to get straight to the point. We have a new enemy." Her eyebrows arched at the sudden statement, curiosity now piqued.

"Oh?"

"From what I've seen, I believe they're the same ones from last time."

There was a beat of silence.

"Then you've come to warn me." Schrader quietly said, the cheerfulness gone. I cleared my throat and nodded, watching as a look of ice suddenly appeared in her eyes. "They want to kill us?"

"No…I think they want to create another. Maybe more than what Cynthia's accomplished."

"If they do that…the world would be screwed over. As a hybrid between man and entity, it would be most difficult to kill us. If these people create an army, then they would be unstoppable."

"Well…not unless we have all of you by our side."

**~.~.~.~.~**

**[Kanda]**

As soon as we reached the Order, I was immediately sent to the infirmary to get my wounds tended, which I did so reluctantly. I needed to see if Nova was alright, to see if anything happened to her. That was my most dire need. Barging out of the infirmary, I ignored the nurse's pleas for me to stop and walked out simply shirtless and bandaged.

I headed over to her office silently, unexpected worry crawling up my spine. Entering her office, I caught her frantically scribbling on a piece of paper. Smiling in relief, I neared her desk and tilted my head when I still didn't catch her attention. She seemed utterly focused on what she was writing. Deciding not to disturb her, I stood there and basked in her simply beauty, smiling. When she stopped writing and set down her pen, she let out a sigh and lifted her eyes, only to shoot up out of her chair and let out a wail of surprise.

"Took you a while," I grinned as she laughed and rounded the desk to meet me. I opened my arms to pull her into a hug but she stopped short when she saw the bandages and my practically bare chest.

"Y-you're not wearing a shirt." Nova mumbled as a light blush crept up her neck. I rolled my eyes and hooked an arm around her shoulders, bringing her close.

"Does that matter?" I retorted as I buried my face into the crook of her neck. "You okay? Did that man say anything?" When she stiffened under me, I pulled away, concern evident in my voice.

"What? What happened?" It took a second to regain her composure.

"He said that he wanted to speak to me as well as Allen otherwise they would force their way into this place." She explained as a look a worry appeared in her silver eye. I laced my fingers through hers and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Don't worry; I won't let anyone hurt you." I murmured against her skin, feeling it heat up from embarrassment.

"And Allen too?" I pulled back and scowled, raising an eyebrow as I saw the amused expression in her eye.

"Really? No."

"What about your mission? Who was that man?"

As I told her of what happened, the look on her face only darkened in seriousness. Her role as the leader of Head Operations was standing out now that there was definitely an imminent threat in the air.

"So they _do _want to make another one…" I heard her mutter under her breath.

"Another one? What're you talking about?"

Nova was about to reply when a yellow ball suddenly collided into her face. I tried not to burst out laughing as she righted herself.

"Timcampy! What is it?" She exclaimed as she pried the golem off of her face. The golem flapped its wings in her face, not really giving her a message at all.

"That golem…what's he doing here?"

"I'll tell you more about everything later, Yuu. I need to send Timcampy back." She replied as she scrawled a message onto a piece of paper. Giving it to Timcampy's open mouth, she patted its head sweetly before giving it a small wave.

"Now, go back to that dumbass Cross before he cooks you."

**~.~.~.~.~**

**Awah~ That cute KandaXNova moment. :) They're adorable. I just love writing the two of them together. Anyway, what did you think about my new set of OCs that are going to come in? Hybrid human entities huh? I thought it was a really creative idea for this sequel. :) **

**Hope you all had an awesome holiday!  
-FallenWing21**

**P.S  
I just uploaded it again because I edited some things. ^^;;**


	4. Chapter 4: Never Again

**SO I TOLD MYSELF THAT I WOULD WRITE TODAY. AND I FREAKING SHALL. IT'S BEEN TOO LONG. I'VE KEPT YOU WAITING TOO LONG. FORGIVE ME.**

**Also, (late) Happy New Year! I hope that this year will be different from the ones of the past~ Let's have a good year everyone!**

**So some bits and pieces of action here. :) As well as some KandaXNova moments.**

**Consider this a (very) late New Year's Present from me? **

**~.~.~.~.~**

**Chapter 4: Never Again**

**~.~.~.~.~**

**[Nova]**

The silence of the Order lulled me to sleep that night, leaving me hopeful to a quiet, dreamless night. Sadly, everything I hope for shatters in an instant. I shot up in my sleep when the memory of a Level 3's hand impaling me became vivid enough to feel real. Drenched in cold sweat once more, I pressed my lips together as I brought my hands up to my face. Sighing, I climbed out of my bed, Tigress following my lead as I wiped the sweat away with the sleeve of my black sweater. Opening the door to my room, I stumbled out and headed to the familiar corridor which I knew so well.

My feet cold against the tile, Tigress's head pressed up against my hand as I used the wall for support. I thought I would've at least gotten used to this by now. The nightmares. But no, they always come back into a huge wave whenever I don't expect them. And the only one who can make them really go away is one person. Clad in sweatpants and a sweater, I waltzed up to Kanda's door and took a breath before knocking lightly. As I waited in silence, Tigress sat herself next to me and peered up into my eye innocently.

Only a few seconds later the door pulled open and I glanced up at Kanda with a sheepish smile.

"Hi,"

As soon as he registered that it was me, he tilted his head to the side. Wearing a simple tank and sweats, he gazed down at me silently before taking my hand, pulling me in. Tigress padded in as he shut the door, climbing on to his bed. We both stood there in the middle of his room in silence before I let out a small sigh.

"Mind if I sleep here tonight, Yu?" I quietly said as I kept my gaze to the ground. I could already feel his gaze on me.

"You look like you just woke up...sorry if I-" My words were cut off when his arms suddenly encircled me and lifted me up into his arms. Letting out a surprised yelp, I grabbed on to his shoulders frantically as I felt my cheeks heat up.

"You're not a nuisance." Kanda said in a low voice as he scooted on to his bed with me still in his arms. Tigress easily moved out of the way, her tail swishing as she rearranged her position. "Nightmares again?" He whispered as I felt his lips press against my temple softly. Smiling, I leaned my head against his shoulder as I shut my eye, relishing his radiating warmth.

"Yeah...do you mind if we don't talk about it?" I timidly said as I saw his head turn slightly to me in response.

"Have you warned the Moyashi about...you know." Kanda went on, immediately changing the topic to something we could both talk about. I nodded my head, recalling meeting him after Kanda went to get lunch. His reaction to the news was expected: the apprehensive look that appeared in his silver eyes.

"I also told Komui..."

"So your mother..."

"Created hybrid human entities, yes. With this new enemy on our tail, I really don't have a good feeling about this. They want to create another one, a hybrid probably more powerful enough than the ones she made."

"We should be prepared for if that man comes. No doubt the Order will be ready to protect one of their own." Kanda replied, his tone having a protective edge to it.

"Yeah...and Komui has been keeping this information from me. What else can be shocking enough to keep from me?" I thought aloud as I curled up against Kanda's chest, breathing him in.

"We'll just have to wait and see." Utterly grateful to him for letting me stay, I placed my hand on the side of his neck and pecked his cheek.

"Thanks, Yu,"

**~.~.~.~.~**

**[Komui]**

Gulping down a huge mouthful of coffee, I sighed as I pulled the cup away from my lips, the effects of the early morning already beginning to appear. As I walked through the quiet hall, I glanced down at the folder in my arms that was filled with notes of the meeting that just occurred. All about the precautions of how to take the Masks's threat of coming to the Order as well as the extent of how much Nova knows about her mother. Thinking back on it, I let out a tired sigh at the sheer amount of ideas that the Generals and I brainstormed.

_"Well what else do you suggest?" Klaud growled out as she tried not to lose her composure. The ideas they had already created were enough as it is. _

_"How about something less destructive to the Order? We did just repair the Science Division from the damage that the Master caused." Komui weakly piped up, feeling the bags under his eyes._

_"Either way, there's going to be damage inside this place. Why don't we just go with the plan General Tiedoll had?" Klaud turned her head towards the bushy haired man, seeing him push up his glasses with his finger. _

_"Hmm, I don't see why not." General Sokaro inputted, his feet propped up on the long table. "It would be good to get those targeted out of here before they get caught." _

_"Yes...but this means finally putting Shiki's abilities to use. He's never done it before." General Tiedoll added, his tone cautious and calculating. I let out a small sigh as I remembered the letter that Nova had placed on my desk only a few hours earlier. She knew about Cynthia's work._

_"There's that. But the plan could work. I'll let Nova and Allen know about the plan. However...there's another thing." All of the Generals' heads turned towards me. Their undivided attention._

_"She knows." They all stiffened at the sudden news. General Sokaro shifted in his seat, Klaud clenched her fists, and Tiedoll frowned slightly. They didn't like it._

_"...How did she find out?" Klaud quietly said the question on all of their minds. "That secret was supposed to remain hidden and locked away forever." _

_"It's about time the news got out, Klaud." Tiedoll retorted, meeting the woman's gaze. "It's been too long. And besides, Nova deserves to know everything about her family."_

_"It must have been Cross. That bastard of a General," Klaud said in a low voice, her tone menacing._

_"Then if she knows about the hybrids, then she could have only received the information from Shiki. What do you think he told her?" Klaud concernedly inquired, her gaze meeting the other few at the table. _

_"Enough to inform her about Cynthia's other creations. He wouldn't jeopardize his duty at the Order by revealing too much." _

_"That shows how little you truly do know about Shiki. There's another side of him that we don't know about. One that's been in the dark for so long." Sokaro added on, putting his hands behind his neck._

_"He's been in that place for so many years. We should let him free." Klaud suggested as she met Komui's gaze. He had been silent the entire time. _

_"Now's not the time to think about that, Klaud. We need to commence the operation!" I interrupted, raising my voice as I reigned silence in the room. We would all have to deal with the matter later. What was important now was getting everyone in the building to a safe, secure area before the predestined attack. _

_"...you're right. Yes. We'll go with Tiedoll's idea? I vote yes." Klaud said, nodding her head towards the brilliant General. _

_"Ah, same here." Sokaro said as he gave the man a nod. _

_"I'm sure the same would go for Cross. You've got all of our approvals, Tiedoll. Make it happen soon." I concluded as I met the grave looking General's expression. _

_"Of course."_

Now that I was looking over the note that Nova placed on my desk, I shut my eyes for a moment as I saw Cynthia's face in the back of my mind. It's only been a few years since her death and it still felt like it was yesterday when the news came in.

_"Komui-san!" _

_"What is it?" _

_"It's...Miss Cynthia. She's..."_

_"...No...Take me to her."_

_..._

_"Do not fail to protect this world, Komui..."_

The whispered words she spot to her fellow comrades, the pain that everyone felt when she was gone, all of it was constantly buried in the hearts of those here at the Order. It must have been worse for Patrick and Nova. Sighing, I opened my eyes and reread the information that Nova gave to me. Someone is after Allen and her and they needed to do something in order for the enemy to not succeed. Taking another sip of coffee, I silently wondered if Tiedoll was already making the preparations.

No matter, I still had to inform Allen and Nova.

I shot up from my seat and noticed Lyra's sleeping form on the couch of his office. She was still wearing what she wore yesterday: a plain white shirt and black pants, her exorcist coat draped over her body. Taking a deep breath, I cupped my hands around my mouth as I yelled, "Lyra! Good morning!"

Emerald eyes shot open at the sudden noise, the strawberry haired girl jolted in her spot, falling off of the couch. "Ow...what is it, Komui? It's early isn't it?" She whined as she slowly got up to her feet, putting a hand against a messy bed head. She turned to face me, a not yet so bright look in her emerald eyes.

"Yes it is indeed early, but we're going to have visitors. Very important visitors sometime today. I'd like you to get Nova and Allen for me." I ordered as I saw the look in her eyes light up slightly, her interest piqued.

"Y-yes, of course!" She exclaimed as she gave me a salute before running out of the office, smoke coming up behind her.

**~.~.~.~.~**

**[Allen]**

It was surprising to see that people were out and about in the early morning. Currently walking through the semi silent halls, I stifled a yawn as I slipped my other arm through my exorcist coat, nearly tripping on my own two feet. As I righted myself, I nodded in greeting towards two Finders that passed me, bidding them a good morning. Right when I was about to turn into the dining hall for breakfast, something hard collided into my back, sending me sprawled on to the floor.

Oh what a great way to start a morning.

Instantly flipping on to my back, I glared at the person above me, only to realize in surprise that it was Lyra. She looked breathless as a light blush dusted her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Allen! Here," She exclaimed as she offered a hand. Taking it, I was pulled on to my feet and steadied by none other than her.

"It's fine."

"Oh! Komui-san said to come get you! He also said to ask for Nova but I don't think she's in her room..." As soon as she said that, I immediately had an idea and grinned at her.

"Don't worry. Tell Komui we're coming. I'll grab her for you." I offered with a smile, already knowing where the young woman was. There was only one comfort in the world for her. Lyra's eyebrows arched at my vague statement and shrugged, brushing the topic off easily.

"Sure thing!" She cheerfully said before taking a deep breath. She left me within a second, her retreating form heading in the direction she came in.

Waltzing down the familiar hallway, I hummed to myself as I walked past Nova's room and turned down a corridor. Finding the right number of his door, I came to a stop and knocked on the door with my knuckles, knowing who well would answer. In about a minute the door was gently pulled open and there was Nova, in all her bed headed glory.

"Hello," I greeted softly, careful not to wake the sleeping tiger and other beast inside the room. As Nova recognized who I was, her eyes widened while her cheeks turned red with embarrassment. I realized that she was in her pajamas. Smiling softly in greeting, the brunette stepped out of the room and shut the door behind her quietly.

"What's up, Allen? Is something wrong?" She inquired, knowing full well that no one would wake her at this time unless it was important.

"Uh yes, you see Komui asked us to come to his office. I think it's something important." I explained as I scratched the side of my cheek, seeing the serious look in her eye.

"Hm, well let's head over there now."

I blinked for a moment.

"Wait, what?! Shouldn't you change first?" I mentioned as I gestured towards her pajamas dramatically. The girl glanced down at her outfit and shrugged, meeting my gaze without any shame.

"It's okay."

"No, wait-here." I suddenly said as I took off my exorcist jacket, handing it to her. "Wear this for now." I added as I gave her a soft smile, seeing the grateful look in her silver eye.

"If you say so." As she draped it over her shoulders, she gave me a nod of thanks and clasped the first button. "Alright, let's go."

After the meeting, we both exited Komui's office with a grim expression on both of our faces. It wasn't exactly good news. He said that the Masks would probably attack at some point today and that they needed to prepare and meet someone named Shiki down in the basement. Whoever that was. I just hope that the others will be alright. I didn't want anyone else inside the Order getting hurt.

"Hey Nova...do you know a Shiki?" I casually asked as I gave her a glance. We were heading back towards our rooms. Surprisingly, she gave me a nod, smiling slightly.

"Yep. I'll introduce you to him later. However...that doesn't change the fact that Komui knows that I know about him..." She muttered, too soft for me to understand everything.

"What did you say?"

"Ah, nothing! Nothing! Anyway, I'll come get you soon. Where will you be? We should stick together at all times." Nova said as she stopped in front of Kanda's door again. She unbuttoned my exorcist jacket and held out to me, her serious face on.

"I'll be in the dining hall for now. We should be careful." I replied as I slipped on my jacket, feeling the warmth that was still there. She gave me a nod before entering Kanda's room silently. Before she shut the door, she poked her head out.

"If anything were to happen that would prevent us from meeting, go down to the Archives section of the Order and wait for me there. If I'm there before you, you'll see me there, okay?" Giving her a nod of understanding, she gave me a brief smile before shutting the door.

As I slowly made my way back to the dining hall, my thoughts wandered on what Komui said earlier.

_"The Masks are targeting the both of you. They want information from you both for some reason. If you meet a man named Shiki, he'll be able to explain everything to you. Don't go fighting these guys on your own. It will only kill you. Do as I say, alright? Find the man named Shiki."_

Grabbing my huge tray of orders, I wandered to an empty table and began inhaling the food, extremely hungry. As I wolfed down the food, my thoughts wandered over to Cross who was out and about outside of the Order, probably doing who knows what. Pausing mid bite, I glanced down at my food as I pictured his red head of hair and that cocky smirk on his face.

_Master...I hope you're okay. This can't be going well for you either. _

**~.~.~.~.~**

**[Mask Member]**

The corridors of the underground lair was bustling with noise, laughter and the distinct clanging of metal bouncing off of the stone walls. As I walked through said corridors, I glanced into the multiple rooms on either side, seeing the members of the Masks all conversing, all the while laughing as they pointed about something on the plan. They wore their black cloaks but their hoods were off, their expressions bright. In my mind, I questioned how they could be so carefree and yet be so deadly at the same time? We were a cult kind of group that aspired for dangerous ideas and the first thing anyone can see about them is that they're _laughing. _

I hated the fact that they could be carefree, but I respected that they could become ruthless members in an instant. I continued down the path and kept my own hood on as I stopped at a nearby door and knocked. "Come in." Pushing the door open, I met the gaze of our leader, a woman in her mid 30's who had jet black hair and an obsidian sword by her side. She was leaning against a wall next to a man with tons of papers and maps laid out before them on a table. I was only a low ranked member here so I didn't know much about her, but from what I know is that she considers every members of the Masks an important asset no matter what rank they are.

That kind of system I respected.

"My Lady, the preparations are currently underway. We'll be able to depart soon."

"That's-"

"Good! I can't wait to see their shining faces once more!" The right hand man of the organization cheerfully said. His brown hair was messily pushed back and his hazel eyes pierced into anyone he gazed at.

"Kaz," The Leader grounded out beside him, turning her head slightly to give him the glare of his life. Though it bounced off of him like it was nothing.

"Sorry, sorry! Well, let's get going shall we? We should see how it's going." Kaz said as he turned to his Leader, meeting her own dark piercing gaze.

"Yes, assemble the unit. I'll meet you there." She ordered as she pushed herself off of the wall she was leaning on, grabbing the cloak that was draped over the chair in the room.

As I lead her to the cavern where everything was set up, I could feel her powerful presence come over me in a wave. I haven't seen what her elemental power is, but I'm sure it's insanely frightening. "Here we go, my Lady." I said as I let her go first into the brightly lit cavern. The small group of people in the middle wore identical cloaks to my own, chanting some strange language. A large piece of paper was laid out on the ground, a symbol drawn on it that probably represented the portal.

Yes, the portal. The one that will lead to the Order.

From what the others in the Masks have told me, they have had a mark on the Order ever since they forced their way in the first time. The Leader at the time, our current Leader's mother, had made a smart decision, knowing that at some point in the future they would have to raid it again. How the old Leader knew that? I wouldn't know. After all, I'm only a low ranking member here.

"Is it ready?" the leader asked, startling the few that were there. One of them turned around, their hooded face shadowed.

"Soon, my Lady. Has your unit been assembled yet?"

"Yes, Kaz will be coming with them in a moment." The member gave his leader a nod before turning back to his work. As if on cue, there was a loud clamor of approaching footsteps, the man singing in the front the leader of them all.

"Yo!" Kaz said in greeting as he stopped next to the woman, his unit behind him. Some were armed with weapons but most of them only had their hands. Their elemental power was their weapon.

"My Lady, will you be going with them?" Another member inquired, everyone's interest piqued. Yes, _was _our leader going to go with them?

"Unfortunately, I cannot." At her reply, Kaz met her gaze with wide eyes.

"What?! What's with the sudden change of mind, Ly-"

"Silence, Kaz." She interjected, her voice cold as she met the man's gaze. As I saw their exchange, I was sure that there was a look of alarm in the right hand man's eyes. He seemed to have almost said something important. "If we both go, then this compound won't have a leader to watch them. Besides, I trust in your ability to retrieve the two by force. I have to gather more materials for the experiment."

"Ah...sure."

"I trust you won't do anything stupid?"

"Of course! You know me well enough, my Lady~!" Kaz energetically replied with a salute, a bright grin on his face. Our Leader gave him a nod before signaling those in charge of the portal to begin.

Within moments, after a few verses of chanting, a bright blue portal opened up on top of the huge paper with the symbol. As I gazed at it, I was mesmerized by the shining, swirling contents inside. It was beautiful. Who knew that black elemental magic could be so beautiful and dangerous at the same time.

"Go, Kaz."

"Don't need to say it twice! Let's go, men!"

**~.~.~.~.~**

**[Kanda]**

Only being briefed about the situation about an hour ago, I was startled when a blaring alarm suddenly went off throughout the compound. Nova and I were sitting in front of Allen eating late breakfast when it sounded. We all froze for a second before we realized that that was the signal.

"They're here. Let's go." Nova stated as she stood up, grabbing something wrapped in cloths next to her.

"Yeah," Allen replied as he followed suit, the three of us heading out of the dining hall. I noticed that the halls were piling with people, all assuming positions of some sort. I spotted a few exorcists I knew, among them Lenalee and Lavi.

"Oi, shouldn't we take them with us?" I said as I glanced back at their forms, seeing their gaze meet my own. There was a sense of understanding in them.

"No, they can't get hurt if they're not with us. They'll be helping defend the Order from the Masks forces. And..." Nova trailed off as she pulled the strap of a bag she prepared over her shoulder. We stopped running for a moment, meeting her gaze.

"Hey hey, now's not the time to be hesitating here." I stated as I met her silver eyed gaze. There was a look of apprehension. One that I didn't like. Within seconds I realized what she was implying. Meeting her gaze seriously, I placed my hands on both of her shoulders. "No."

"Wha-?" Allen's words were cut off when Nova interjected.

"I can't let-"

"I won't lose you again. Not again. Not like last time." I quietly stated as I saw the conflicted look appear in her eye. If she left me again, I'm not sure what I would do. I was barely able to control my wave of panic last time, who knows what would happen this time around?

"Yu-" Her words were cut off when an explosion shook through the building.

"We don't have time guys! As much as I hate to say it, make a decision now!" Allen exclaimed as he worriedly glanced at the two of us. I stared into Nova's eye, watching as dozens of emotions flickered through it.

"Okay, Yu." She replied with a nod after much difficulty. Then she walked out of my arms and began running, leading the way. "Let's go! They'll be inside soon."

As we descended on the elevator, the sounds of yelling and fighting began to grow louder in clamor. I met the other's gazes, seeing their expressions trying not to reveal their emotions. The atmosphere in the air was tense with the ongoing fighting. The elevator continuing on, we all stiffened when we sensed a powerful presence above us. Craning our heads, what seemed like a member of the Masks peered down at us, an arm pulled back.

"They're here!" The member cried out as he launched his attack at us, a spear of solid ice hurtling through the air. With only a few seconds to move, I unsheathed Mugen and sliced through the spear without activating it, glaring up at the man. The man was about to launch himself over the railing when a black hammer suddenly slammed into him.

Lavi's face appeared over the railing and Lenalee landed on the railing as she grinned down at us. "Don't worry guys! We can handle it from here! Do what you have to do!" Lenalee called out as she gave us a wave.

"Thanks!" Nova called back in return as the elevator came to a stop. She grabbed both of our arms and pulled us off, running towards a huge silver vault, punching in a code. As she led us in, she weaved through the bookshelves and tapped a tile on the blank wall, the outline of a door appearing.

"The person in here will help explain everything, Kanda, Allen." Nova said over her shoulder as she pushed the door open, stepping in. As we followed her lead, I blinked in shock at what I was seeing.

What was a person with blue skin doing sitting here inside a locked room? Is this even real?

"Ah! Nova, you came back! And you brought-" The brown haired teen cheerfully greeted as he shot up from his seat by a cluttered desk. His words were cut short when he saw Allen and I, an astonished look on his face.

"Sorry, Sam, this wasn't really the scenario I imagined to introduce you to them." Nova replied back easily, making me turn my head to her. She knew this guy? W-who was he? How did they know each other? Anyway, I couldn't toss aside the fact that I felt fire deep in my gut.

"Kanda, Allen," We both turned our heads to Nova who held a small smile. "This is Sam, the records keeper here."

**~.~.~.~.~**

**[Kaz]**

"Now...where are they?" I seethed as I slowly stepped out from the hole our unit created. The portal those back at the lair created was perfect, leading straight to the top of the Order, right at the front of the entrance. We had created a hole in talking wall, shutting him up permanently. As I made my way in, my eyes adjusted to the darker lighting and registered that there was a whole barricade of roots blocking the halls as well as any entrances. The thought of these pesky exorcists at the Order trying to stop me made me laugh. They were naive.

"You think this can stop me? HUH?!" I yelled as I let the energy surging through me out. My hands became cloaked in fire, not feeling any pain as I approached one side of the roots, gritting my teeth in irritation. How dare they think this can stop my Lady's plan!? It's _unthinkable! _Roaring, I slammed my fists into the roots, feeling my knuckles hit a solid wall.

"Men! All together! We won't fail!" I ordered as I took a deep breath, harnessing my power inside me.

"Sir!" They replied as they came up behind me, those with elemental powers preparing themselves.

Opening my eyes, I launched a powerful fireball attack on to the roots yelling, "Don't underestimate us, bastards!" The others followed after me, all shaking the dense array of roots blocking our way. After a moment, as we pushed on, nothing happened. But then as I looked closely, cracks began to form on the roots, making me grin slightly.

"Alright, boys. Let's move!" Slamming my foot into the growing cracks, they grew and spread across the entire row. As my fist slammed into the cracks, the entire structure began to shake, soon collapsing into a heap of broken wood. Breaking out into a run, I noticed that the halls were passed through were empty. Were they planning something?

"Be on your guard but find those two!" I demanded as they nodded in response, dispersing. As I ran forward, a group of people suddenly jumped out of nowhere.

"Stop!" Not bothering to give them time to move, I plowed through them, hearing their pained yells as I passed them. I let out a low chuckle as I continued down the halls, barreling past those who came to block me. Man they were easy. What kind of defense force was this? It's pathetic!

"Hah, easy. This'll be quick,"

"Don't underestimate our strength," I came to a halt when a bespectacled man with gray bushy hair stood in front of me. He had a staff of some kind in his hands. An exorcist?!

"Who the hell are you?"

The man in the yellow and black coat smiled, the glare of his glasses blocking his eyes.

"Someone who will stop you."

**~.~.~.~.~**

**Aaaaand not so much action once more. Gahhhh it's a bit hard to incorporate action into this sequel now because there's no more akuma and stuff. xD I could literally just make them pop out of nowhere in the first one. But I suppose the action in this installment will be for really important purposes?**

**I'm sorry for the late update again. School really has been wanting to pull me away from this life. **

**But I do hope that the moments with Kanda and Nova were nice. If there are some errors, lemme know!**

**Anyway, do leave a review! Thanks to those who have been following me/this story and those who probably joined the group by the time they've read this. I do hope that you stick for the ride. I'll be doing thank you's to those who favorited and stuff so look out! I won't be doing the listing name thing anymore. xD Not really my style. **

**Thanks for always waiting for a new update guys. You're all the best. **

**-FallenWing21**


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